Observations from England & Scotland

Posted by Colin Heggie on Sep 04, 2018

Colin & his wife Barb recently spent five weeks in England & Scotland. They visited Roman forts, Hadrian's wall, & many cathedrals & castles -- both those in ruins, & those still occupied by aristocrats. He talked a bit about how the invention of steam-power & the industrial revolution allowed wealthy investors to create huge fortunes, which in turn were used to finance railways & other infrastructure through the Commonwealth. The design & manufacture of ships, locomotives, bridges, etc., in the great UK industrial centers -- Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle & Glasgow, etc., brought immense wealth throughout the 19th & first half of the 20th century. By the 1970s, these industries were in serious decline, & now they're gone. Gradually, these cities are transforming themselves, redeveloping old industrial sites to residential & other business uses. Colin & Barb enjoyed a two-week home & car exchange near Newcastle, & had three two-night stays with Servas.